Examination of the diverse cultures of ancient Latin America, ranging from the earliest known sites through to the great civilizations of the Maya, Aztec, and Inka, and the cultures of the Amazon. Students will become familiar with the archaeological toolkit, examining the ways archaeologists use a broad array of methods to learn about ancient societies. Focus will be placed on investigating these cultures? histories, belief systems, foodways, art and architecture, technologies, writing systems, and daily life, developing an understanding of the scale and diversity of the Latin America?s past.